The Dry (2022– ) User Reviews

I Really Wanted To Dislike This...

[TheRGV · 8/10 · 28 September 2023]

... but the first thing I did was laugh.

I think to enjoy this series you have to have enjoyed Shameless. Some describe this family as clichéd but that falls short. Dysfunctional doesn't cover it either.

The main character returns home and to her completely over the top family members in an attempt to maintain her fragile, six-month sobriety. She couldn't have made a worse choice.

The eight-part series details everyone else's shortcomings as well as her own, making you want to reach for a drink yourself. But it is very well done, humorous, gritty and for someone who finds the theme close to the heart, very difficult to watch in parts.

It is the woman's sponsor who is the lone voice of sanity and some hard truths. The series is very well done, very well written and very well acted.

Some would like to see additional seasons but I think what had to be said and done was accomplished in these eight, half-hour episodes.

Raises a fair few laughs

[csm-78119 · 8/10 · 19 February 2024]

I enjoyed this original and quirky Irish comedy penned by Nancy Harris. Roisin Gallagher is perfect as Shiv the recovering alcoholic who returns from London to the bosom of her Dublin family hoping for a fresh start and finding an initial mix of bewilderment and scepticism from family members all facing their own unique challenges. Ciaran Hinds is superb as Tom, the paternal head of the family as is Pom Boyd as Bernie. Janet Moran excels too as Shiv's force of nature sponsor Karen. The piece as a whole is at times hilarious and at others quite tender and it's non judgmental lightness of touch and tone feels refreshing.

Entertaining but that music...

[reflectarts · 7/10 · 14 May 2022]

It was entertaining enough; the humor is dark which I always appreciate. There are the usual cliches, old love interest, family drama et. Al. But kept me watching and each character was interesting. However, the music was excruciating and pandering, a failed attempt at poignancy as it were; I had to fast forward through that, it distracted from the show and some of those 'music' scenes went on way too long.

Best show of the year so far...

[moconnor-oc · 9/10 · 15 May 2022]

The fact that this show isn't well known blows my mind - it's genuinely the best show I've seen so far this year. The whole cast is incredible - especially Roisin Gallagher who shifts from comedy to tragedy to pathos and carries the show on her shoulders. It's been described as an 'Irish fleabag', which does it a disservice - it's own thing with a mixture of darkness, drama, addiction and dysfunctional family dynamics told in a deeply sarcastic, darkly humorous voice. Both hands together praying for season two!

Had so much potential but...

[SylvieQR · 6/10 · 21 August 2022]

Great acting and so much potential, but just too many cliches to go around...

Girl in her mid-30s trying to put her life together after becoming sober and trying to cope with the recovery of her addiction, as well as trying to deal with her family after returning to her home town. Then you get the cliched gay brother who has casual sex whenever and with whoever whilst living in his parents house (and as another reviewer said, heart of gold despite not being a responsible adult by any means)... You have the parents who also have their own issues (favourite son, don't care too much about the alcoholic daughter, cheating husband, drinking too much etc.). There's also a responsible Sister who is a nurse and married but quite 'easily' decides to have a fling with a doctor.

Maybe the humour is also misplaced sometimes - i.e. I feel like they dress up the fact that having their alcoholic daughter stay with them is a 'drag' and it's funny to be dismissive of her issues. Yes, some cliches work and are relatable for a reason, but there's just too many going on here all at once.

I feel like a lot of series these days are very crude to pass off as being 'modern', but they don't show the added complexity that really delves into the human condition and our decision making processes, as well as the toll our decisions take on those around us. Families are complicated and some comedy thrown in is always a good mix, but this is just so unimaginative I couldn't go on after 4-5 episodes. I do think it's easily better than Fleabag (which I personally, did not rate very highly).

Fabulous under the radar drama

[walter-66537 · 10/10 · 23 March 2023]

Has everything you want. Great acting, genuine laugh out loud moments and powerful messages. I think her sponsor steals the show but it has many memorable scenes. From the start in the airport where she tries to help a man drinking Guinness in the morning to the diatribe at the finale it was packed with superb writing. There was a lot in it - alcoholic, gay brother, cheating sister & father, cheating herself. In fact all the characters were carrying some weight on their shoulders but it was all tastefully and humorously dealt with.

Hope season 2 is in the pipeline as RTE could do with investing in this as opposed to some of the drivel they currently call light entertainment.

Should always know what you are in for...

[rander-88123 · 6/10 · 17 May 2022]

In point of fact, people interested in the mundane lives of the average Joe will probably like this, but for the most part to me it's a bore. Drunks, jealous people, Brit TV (and American) pushing the "gay with the heart of gold" agenda. Just not interesting. Story concerns an alky, second-rate artist returning to her family to bury their grandmother. The first episode has one of those barbaric open-casket wakes some cultures celebrate. I just found it creepy. The thing that bugs me most though is that people in these things just do not make "real" conversation. Everything seems like a put-on, to hide whatever it is the people are really thinking about.

Genuinely brilliant and a hidden gem

[kdjvkkrw · 10/10 · 21 May 2022]

I saw The Guardian describe this as an "Irish Fleabag" which really piqued my interest. This might be controversial, but I enjoyed this way more than Fleabag! I'm sober, and so it felt really real to me- painful and gritty and incredibly true to life. Sorcha Richardson's soundtrack added a beautiful depth to the series as well. I hope there will be a series two.

Meh family drama with some redeeming characters

[adamkgn · 5/10 · 5 August 2022]

The main character is completely unlikeable and annoying. She has a knack for divulging everyone else's secrets, perhaps to show that she is not the only one who has a messy life. Nevertheless, her alcoholism is not an excuse for her behavior. She is narcissistic, selfish, and unpleasant sober. These character traits are only amplified when she drinks.

I also found the brother to be annoying when he is forced to carry scenes, but fortunately that's a small percentage of the show.

The dad (Ciaran Hinds), mom (Pom Boyd), and sister (Siobhan Cullen) were all enjoyable to watch with interesting story lines. They definitely bumped up the rating.

Well put together

[Rachela123 · 10/10 · 28 March 2023]

Isn't it wonderful when you watch something and you don't have high expectations and then episode by episode it develops into something that raises all sorts of emotions. I loved this drama. I didn't laugh once, smirked a bit, but didn't laugh, so the comedy level wasn't up there for me. But, I loved it all the same. Great script and wonderful wholly believable performances from a great cast. This is a superb piece of filmmaking. I hope it gets the viewing and adulation it deserves.

Gee - how many required characters! Watch it, you might find it surprises you too. It left me feeling thoughtful and sad and I love it when a show can do that.

Boring, angst filled series that goes in circles

[qui_j · 2/10 · 21 December 2023]

This Irish series is a colossal waste of time. It has multiple, loosely connected storylines that sometimes connect, at other times, not. The narrative is all over the place and often leads to nothing and nowhere. Ultimately, each episode just becomes another angst filled ride with no destination. It's just a pointless series. The acting and the script are both low quality. It's as if no storyboard was used to provide any structure to the series. Ultimately, viewers just get lost and tired by continuously going in circles but ending up nowhere. It is quite possibly one of the least engaging series ever watched.

... so far the best series in quite awhile

[bjarias · 10/10 · 24 July 2022]

... this show has no weak parts... script-casting-acting-production values.. all right on the mark... with topic(s) that most all viewers can relate to... it's shown to be on IMDb a 'returning-series'.. really hope it does return... in any event it shall always remain one of the absolutely best of its genre... bravo to everyone had a hand in bringing it to the screen.

Brilliant from the start

[cwilton-72068 · 10/10 · 14 August 2022]

What a great show and for once shows what being an alcoholic is like and how meetings are. The characters are all very realistic and it shows what a dysfunctional family are like but being that they all love each other.

Absolute Blinder

[stephskelton-06146 · 10/10 · 20 March 2024]

Relatable, dark, despicable, yet abundantly human characters. The dry has everything you want from a dramedy and it's full of Irish craic.

Shiv and her fellow Sheridan clan are a fantastic Portrayal of ordinary Vs extraordinary and how trauma can creep up on us. This series had me roaring with laughter and crying real tears. Can't wait to see more. Reminds me of the Marianne Keyes book of Again Rachel.

Ciaran Hinds is a phenomenal actor but I think this is definitely one of my favourite roles for him. My only gripe if I could find one would be to make the episodes longer. I need more of these people on my screens.

BORE-ATHON

[dazjohnson · 1/10 · 6 June 2022]

Started off OK. But you soon realise not ONE likable character the main character an alcoholic who sleeps with an old flame behind a pregnant woman's back. A total dispicable act in anyone's eyes. The there's the idiotic f.... '' up gay brother for the woke brigade. Won't go into the rest but let's just say they are all in need of a shrink. It's not funny or entertaining in any way.

DRINK

[dcarroll74 · 10/10 · 2 March 2023]

Ireland is not renowned for writing sitcoms, they never work. However, Ireland is renowned for writing everything else. This is an else.

We are, or used to be known as, hard drinkers. Statistics show nowadays, this is not the case. What better premise for a TV Show than, sending up the perceived Irish person? And it works, so far.

I'm just seeing it on Irish TV, apparently it has already been seen by others, somewhere. That's the disappointing part. An Irish production is shown somewhere else before being shown at home. Rather annoying. And it's not the first time this has happened.

Movies and TV series, made in Ireland, land in Ireland over a year after release. If Ireland is good enough to be used as sites, it's only be fair that Ireland should have the same release dates of the shoots.

Absolutely brilliant

[collycolm · 9/10 · 30 March 2024]

Hilarious, sad, funny real. This drama/comedy about a recovering alcoholic from a dysfunctional, middle class , Dublin family, nearly passed me by.

Every episode is finely crafted.

Laugh out loud at times. Painfully cringy at others, but so worth a watch.

A lot of the characters are a bit over the top to highlight comic & dramatic value.

It's so well acted and scripted. Can't believe this flew under the radar. It's one of the best Irish programmes in years.

Really relatable in some circumstances and not in others, but brilliant.

This is so binge worthy. Give it at least 2 episodes and you will be hooked!